Former Richmond coach and St Kilda champion full-back Danny Frawley knows which current AFL footballer he’d pick first if it was an old schoolyard-style selection process of lining the competition’s best players up against a wall and choosing them in order of quality.

It’s not, however, the ‘usual suspects’ – your Paddy Dangerfield and Lance Franklin types – who Frawley, in his capacity as a football commentator these days, would nominate.

No, Frawley is adamant his first pick would be star Richmond key defender Alex Rance, who he’s now even favourably comparing with the two players acknowledged as the game’s best full-backs of the modern era – Geelong’s Matthew Scarlett and Carlton’s Stephen Silvagni.

“I think he’s the best player in the competition,” Frawley said on Triple M, following another outstanding performance by Rance, in the Tigers’ win against Collingwood at the MCG last Friday night.

Rance had 26 disposals, including 11 contested possessions, a game-high 10 intercepts, nine rebound-50s and eight marks.

“He is just a freak,” Frawley said.

“He’s actually now going into Scarlett territory, and before him Silvagni . . . and I never thought I’d say that. 

“But I think Rance nearly has got them both covered.

 “Rance can play small or tall . . .”